• Ride the Circle Line ferry (website: www.statueoflibertyferry.com) to the Statue of Liberty (website: www.nps.gov/stli) and Ellis Island (website: www.nps.gov/elis). The ferry services operate from Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

• Explore Palisades Interstate Park (website: www.njpalisades.org), with its enormous children's fun park. Located north of Newark, the park has 1,012 hectares (2,500 acres) of scenic roads, stunning views, picnic areas, a historic museum, nature sanctuary, and hiking and skiing trails.

• Play the casinos and attractions at the Atlantic City Boardwalk. It is lined with dazzling casinos, amusement rides, games and shops on one side, and 10km (6 miles) of sand beach and surf on the other.

• Step into Atlantic City's opulent Trump Plaza Hotel, then try your luck at Trump Taj Mahal Casino (website: www.trumptaj.com), one of the largest in the world.

• View ocean life at the Adventure Aquarium (website: www.adventureaquarium.com) on the Camden waterfront. The experience combines entertainment, science and cutting-edge technology with some 5,000 aquatic animals and over 80 individual fresh and salt water exhibits.

• Camp, canoe, swim, fish, ride horses or hike in a venture to the Pine Barrens (website: www.pineypower.com), the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River. The New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve (website: www.nps.gov/pine) was recognised by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve in 1983.

• Explore the Shore Region (home to rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi), which boasts white sandy beaches, rolling farmland, quaint seaside resort towns and historic sites. Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant have boardwalk amusement rides and games, while quieter towns like Spring Lake and Ocean Grove offer charming bed & breakfast inns (website: www.state.nj.us/travel/regions_shr.html).

• Thrill to adrenaline rides and see the world's largest safari park at Six Flags Great Adventure and Wild Safari (website: www.sixflags.com) in Jackson. Splash into more fun at Hurricane Harbor waterpark.

• Spend the day at Allaire State Park in Farmingdale. The park is a restored 18th-century bog-iron mining village with period shops, bakeries, churches,  the Pinecreek Railroad train, craft and antique shows. Join in square-dancing on weekends.

• Cruise off Point Pleasant Beach aboard the stern-wheelers River Belle or River Queen (website: www.pointpleasantbeach.com), or take a deep-sea fishing boats charter.

• Ski or snowboard the slopes at Mountain Creek (website: www.mountaincreek.com), New Jersey's four-season resort destination only an hour and a half's drive from Manhattan.

• Pack up the camping gear for a summer trip to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (website: www.nps.gov/dewa). Enjoy a variety of watersports in one of the cleanest rivers in the area.

• Visit the Land of Make Believe (website: www.lomb.com) in Hope. This 12-hectare (30-acre) park fulfills childhood fantasies with rides, attractions and a waterpark.

• Raft on the Delaware River. Hiking, canoeing and fishing can also be organised during the summer. Ice-skating, tobogganing, snowmobiling, skiing and ice fishing are available during the winter.

• Visit the Wildwoods (website: www.wildwoodsnj.com) and Ocean City (website: www.oceancityvacation.com) boardwalks that buzz with excitement, in contrast to the quieter retreats of Stone Harbor (website: www.stoneharbor-resort.com) and Avalon (website: www.avalonbeach.com).

• Relax at the popular Victorian seaside town of Cape May (website: www.capemay.com). This National Historic Landmark has many bed & breakfast inns, trolley tours and the superb Cape May County Zoo.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.